Jan. 3rd, 1885. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
281 
beginning of May, and if plenty of air has been given 
them, they will be well hardened off by that time for 
finally planting out into their blooming quarters, 
removing with balls of roots with a trowel with little 
or no check. For a later display, for the purpose of 
exhibiting at the end of August and beginning of 
September, I sow the seeds in March, subjecting the 
young plants to similar subsequent treatment to that 
given to the first batch. 
The varieties most in vogue for exhibition purposes 
are Betteridge’s Quilled, Truffaut’s Perfection, Pffiony, 
and the Victoria. In the schedules of some shows 
separate prizes are given for stands of quilled and flat 
petalled varieties, and this is a good practice, for while 
the latter make the grandest display, both in the 
stands and in the garden, the compact florist flower 
style of the best strains of quilled, invariably, in this 
district and Birmingham, carry off the prizes, much 
to the chagrin frequently of the groxver who has spent 
his energies in growing the larger and more showy 
kinds. The popularity of the Aster is evidenced by 
novelties are announced from the German houses for 
this season, namely, a lemon-yellow and a bright 
scarlet, two colours which will be sure to create a 
sensation in a stand of twelve blooms. 
Truffaut's P.eony-flowered Perfection.— This is 
one of the oldest and grandest of the exhibition 
sections. My blooms this year were as large as good 
sized tea-cups and as globular in shape. The petals 
are for the most part incurved. Twenty colours may 
now be obtained, including a new scarlet. 
Cockade on Crown Asters. — This is a most 
pleasiug section, the best of all for cut button-holes, 
although I fear a little too small for exhibition. I 
have seen some good stands staged during 1884, but 
they failed against the varieties already enumerated. 
Only eight distinct colours are yet catalogued, every 
one with a white centre, from ■which the term crown 
is derived. It will in time, no doubt, become one of the 
best classes in existence. 
Large-flowered Chrysanthemum. —Probably the 
oldest class of all, and one of the most useful for 
globular form in varieties apt to be flat or the centres 
sunken. In selecting blooms for exhibition, none but 
the most double and those well up in the centre 
should be chosen. 
Asters, during the early growing season, in the 
months of June and July, are specially subject to the 
ravages of aphis, the presence of which can instantly 
be detected by the curling and blistering of the leaves, 
which become wrinkled and discoloured. Unless these 
ravages are checked in time, the hope of prizes must 
be foregone altogether. The best remedy I have found 
is an ounce of common black tobacco and two ounces 
of soft soap to a gallon of hot water, carefully applied 
when cold with a soft sponge, taking hold of the young 
plants at the bottom of the stem between two fingers, 
and then gently squeezing the liquid from the sponge 
into the joints of the leaves, and well saturating the 
whole plant. About three such applications in a 
fortnight to plants badly affected the last hot summer 
proved too much for their enemies, and from these I 
cut my exhibition blooms.— J. Knight , Bilston. 
the number of classes now to be found in the German 
Seed Lists. Referring to a list twenty-five years old, 
I find 'seed of only about a dozen distinct classes 
offered, while in the list of the same firm for the 
ensuing season I find no less than thirty-eight distinct 
classes enumerated. For exhibition purposes the 
following are the best:— 
Betteridge’s Quilled.— This can now be obtained 
in eighteen distinct colours, and is one of the best 
sections either for exhibition or mixing. I know of 
nothing for a pure white bed better than the variety 
belonging to this section, and known as “ The 
Bride.” 
Reid’s Improved Quilled.- —This is considered an 
improvement on Betteridge’s strain, and can be had 
in twelve separate colours. 
Victorla. This is the finest of the flat-petalled 
Chrysanthemum-flowered class, and may now be 
obtained in eighteen colours. Several striking 
improvements have been made in the colours of this 
section during the last few years, and two new 
mixing together, each plant being very floriferous and 
the blooms large. Twenty-four colours are offered 
in some of the new lists. 
Besides the above, most catalogues give lists of 
bedding Asters, so called from their dwarf compact 
habit, which renders them peculiarly adapted for 
entire beds or edgings, the flowers of the Dwarf Pasony- 
flowered, the Dwarf Victoria, and the Dwarf Chrysan¬ 
themum-flowered are well nigh as large as the 
exhibition sections. The Dwarf Needle Aster belongs 
to the bedding section, and is very neat and pretty. 
Although Asters are easily grown, and are not 
specially partial to any particular soil, a sheltered 
and open spot should be selected for their growth, and 
for exhibition they are best attended to when planted 
in a bed by themselves about one foot apart each way. 
A temporary awning can easily be put over them if 
very rough weather threatens at the time of an 
approaching exhibition, as heavy rains are apt to 
spoil the brightness of colour. I have found shading 
with a paper cap bring up the centres into a more 
A NOVEL BOUQUET, 
At the Hospital Fete which took place at “ the 
Healtheries ” last summer, the greatest novelty seen 
during the evening was a bouquet of flowers carried by 
H.R.H. the Princess of Wales, in the centre of which 
was concealed an electric light—a miniature Wood- 
house and Itawson glow-lamp. The cells working the 
lamp were arranged above the stem or holder of the 
bouquet, and the arrangement was rendered complete 
by a lit'tle switch in the form of a lady’s brooch, so 
placed that the light could be turned on at will by 
simply fastening the pin. This identical bouquet was 
we believe, the first one which Mr. John Wills, assisted 
by the electric engineers, had made, and was perfect 
in all respects except its weight—it was too heavy to 
carry comfortably. 
Shortly afterwards Mr. Wills received instructions 
from Her Royal Highness- to have the batteries 
recharged, and placed with the lamp, Ac., in the 
centre of another bouquet, special injunctions being 
